Kidd Mine

Kidd Mine
Location
Kidd Mine
Location in Ontario
Location Timmins
Province Ontario
Country Canada
Coordinates 48°41′13″N 081°22′16″W / 48.68694°N 81.37111°W / 48.68694; -81.37111Coordinates: 48°41′13″N 081°22′16″W / 48.68694°N 81.37111°W / 48.68694; -81.37111
Production
Products Copper
Zinc
History
Opened 1966
Closed 2022 (estimated)
Owner
Company Glencore Inc.
Website www.kiddoperations.ca
Year of acquisition 2013 (takeover of Xstrata Copper.)

Kidd Mine is an underground base metal mine in the city of Timmins, Ontario, Canada. It is owned by Glencore Inc., and operated by Kidd Operations, a Glencore subsidiary. The mine was formerly owned by Xstrata Copper, Falconbridge Ltd., and Texas Gulf Sulphur. Ore from the Kidd Mine is processed into concentrate at the Kidd Metallurgical Site, located 27 km (17 mi) southeast of the mine,[1] which until 2010 also smelted the ore and refined the metal produced. Following the closure of the majority of the Met Site, concentrate is now shipped to Quebec for processing.[2] Kidd Mine is the world's deepest copper/zinc mine.[3]

History

The copper-zinc-silver ore deposit at Kidd Mine was discovered in 1964 by the Texas Gulf Sulphur Corporation.[4] During the initial exploration of the site, then known as Kidd-55, officers of the company engaged in insider trading in Texas Gulf shares.[5] The ensuing lawsuit by the Securities and Exchange Commission resulted in a landmark decision that established the right of all market participants to have "relatively equal access to material information."[6]

The mine began operation in 1966, as an open pit mine and eventually evolved into an underground mine. The mine produces copper, zinc, and several other metals.[3][7]

Geology

Open pit at Kidd Mine. Volcanogenic massive sulfide ores formed 2.7 billion years ago on an ancient seafloor

The Kidd deposit is one of the largest volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposits in the world, and one of the world's largest base metal deposits.[3] It lies within the Abitibi greenstone belt.[8]

Current operation

Kidd Mine and Met Site collectively employ approximately 850 employees and contractors. In 2008, the company committed to investing $120 million to extend the production to 2017, and deepen the mine to 9,600 feet (2,900 m). .[3][7] The investment would add 3.4 million tonnes of ore into the mine plan. The expansion included the development of three additional production levels and deepening the ramp from the 9100 level to the 9600 level, where the loading pocket is located. This included an extension of the ventilation and backfill systems to the new sections of the mine.The mine has since extended its production life to 2021.[3]

Depth

The mine is the deepest base metal mine in the world. The maximum depth of 10,300 feet (3,100 m) and its northerly latitude mean that the bottom of the mine is the closest accessible point to the centre of the Earth.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Strike begins at Xstrata's Ontario plant". The Toronto Star. Oct 1, 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  2. ↑ Kidd Metallurgical Site
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Diekmeyer, Peter. "A supersized combo". CIM Magazine. Montreal: Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. 4 (2): 54–57. ISSN 1718-4177.
  4. ↑ Barnes, Michael (1986). Fortunes in the Ground. Erin, Ontario: The Boston Mills Press. p. 140. ISBN 091978352X.
  5. ↑ Brooks, John (November 9, 1968). "A Reasonable Amount of Time". The New Yorker: 160–188.
  6. ↑ Securities and Exchange Commission Historical Society. "Fair To All People: The SEC and the Regulation of Insider Trading".
  7. 1 2 Kerawala, Minaz (September–October 2008). "Xstrata Copper to extend Kidd mine with fresh investment". CIM Magazine. p. 20.
  8. ↑ On Geology and Ore Deposits of the Timmins District, Ontario. Geological Survey Of Canada (open file 2161, field trip 6)
  9. ↑ Godkin, David (1 February 2014). "Being safe is no accident". Canadian Mining Journal.

Hannington, M. D., and Barrie, C. T., editors, 1999, The Giant Kidd Creek Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide Deposit, Western Abitibi Subprovince, Canada: Economic Geology Monograph 10, The Giant Kidd Creek Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide Deposit, Western Abitibi Subprovince, Canada. 672 p.

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